The Joy Of Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time of great excitement! From the moment you find out the pregnancy test is positive until you get to hold your baby for the first time, there are many memorable and joyful moments you will get to experience. In addition to being excited, you are also going to have a lot of questions. Pregnancy is a time of great anticipation and you need to be well-informed to have the safest and most enjoyable experience you can have.

For most women, the joy of pregnancy begins with the positive pregnancy test. Maybe you’ve been planning a pregnancy for some time and have struggled to conceive, or maybe conception was easy for you. Perhaps it was even a surprise. But however you came to this point, the feeling when you realize that a new person – a completely unique human being – is coming to life through you is both joyful and magical.

Unfortunately, the first few months of pregnancy can be difficult for some women. Morning sickness may occur, and you may have less energy than normal as your body is preparing to help your baby grow and develop. However, there is some joy to be had in the realization that the hormones that are causing morning sickness are helping to ensure that your baby is going to be strong and healthy.

At some point during those first few months, you’ll get to hear your baby's heartbeat for the first time. That familiar “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh,” sound is both joyful and comforting. For many couples, the pregnancy may have been largely academic up until this point. There’s something about hearing your baby's heartbeat that makes the more experience more real and more moving.

Not only will you get to hear your baby's heart beat, but you will also get the chance to see and "meet" your baby for the first time during your ultrasound at the doctor's office! In fact, if you ask your doctor, you can see your baby move . perhaps even suck its thumb! These glimpses of the little person that's growing inside of you are certainly joyful moments that you will treasure forever.

You’ll soon begin to feel your baby move. If this is your first pregnancy, you may not recognize the feeling at first. Very quickly, however, you’ll learn that these fluttering, bubbly movements you’re experiencing are your child moving.

As your pregnancy continues, you’ll enjoy preparing for your baby's arrival. Whatever your budget, you’ll need to outfit a nursery and purchase baby clothes – a process called nesting that only builds most women’s anticipation of the impending delivery. You may also be learning about breastfeeding and preparing for childbirth. During the third trimester, you’ll continue to enjoy feeling your baby grow and move and you’ll probably have additional opportunities to see the baby on ultrasound and hear its heartbeat.

This all leads up to the final joy of pregnancy – holding your baby in your arms for the first time. Labor and delivery is hard work, yet it’s work with a purpose. A growing number of women are choosing to embrace this woman's work without the use of surgery or medications, opting to be able to hold and nurse their baby as soon as it is born. However you choose to proceed with your delivery, we hope this website will be a very useful and helpful aid that will guide you to a safe and pleasant pregnancy. Congratulations and best of luck!